Climate Change and Bioenergy Report
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIOENERGY REPORT CASE STUDIES OF OYOLA AND WEKESI VILLAGES, NYANDO DISTRICT, NYANZA PROVINCE ,KENYA THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOCY STUDIES (ACTS) JULY 2010 Benard O. Muok, Judi W. Wakhungu, Gloria N. Muhoro, Charles Tonui and Lulu Hayanga 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..............................................................................................................................ii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 1 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 6 RESULTS..................................................................................................................................................... 8 DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................................... 17 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX A. CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIOENERGY Questionnaire ......................................................... 23 i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors recognize the invaluable information obtained through the efforts of the coordinator of the Uhai Lake Forum, Daniel Ongor and his staff who assisted in organizing the farmers interviewed. ACTS also wishes to thank the farmers themselves and other village members who were interviewed. The results of the study are supported by PISCES and CBAA projects. The authors recognize the contribution of Shadrack Kirui in data collection and analysis. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACTS – the African Centre for Technology Studies seeks to expound further on linkages relating to the enhancement of adaptation to the impacts of climate change, with particular focus on the use of bioenergy. This is in recognition of the prevailing situation in our world with reports of rising oil prices and the resultant geopolitical undercurrents; of melting glaciers; of catastrophic floods as witnessed in Pakistan and China in July/August 2010 with subsequent mudslides, loss of life and livestock, loss of arable land (especially in countries that are highly dependent on land resources to contribute to household income and food security), destruction of biodiversity, among others; to the obverse conditions of limited water through droughts as in North Africa’s consequent desertification, The significance of bioenergy has of necessity been elevated both nationally and internationally, since it is also a means of alleviating the impact of global warming through efficient energy utilization; and is potentially an ecologically friendly tool for poverty eradication. For Kenya, this efficient use of bioenergy has been encouraged through setting development goals encompassing the provision of sustainable bioenergy to Kenyans. This outcome report is part of a continuing series of fundamental data and information that are being collated and compiled by the DFID funded PISCES Project (led by ACTS) and the IDRC/DFID funded Community Based Adaptation in Africa Project (CBAA). The report provides baseline information on bioenergy consumption, and the relationship to climate change from the village level, using specific variables related to farming, livelihoods and climatic seasonal variations. This study was conducted in November 2009 in Oyola and Wakesi villages in Kano Plains, Nyalunya Sub-location, Central Kolawa Location, Nyando District. Oyola and Wakesi, two villages which are heavily impacted by the effects of climate change (particularly manifested through frequent floods and prolonged periods of drought), have been the principal sources of data. The study notes how at the village level, Kenyans who reside in areas affected by climate change (evidenced in this case by extensive flooding and drought) have responded to the use of biofuels. It also looks at the relationship between household energy consumption and climate change in the target villages. iii Data were collected in the two villages through group discussions and individual interviews using a pre-designed questionnaire (appendix 1). The study population was selected using random sampling techniques. A total of 65 respondents were interviewed. The study has revealed that, with regard to agriculture, more drought tolerant crops and livestocks are being favoured by the local people, in response to the severity of climate change. On the other hand, little is being done to introduce improved crop varieties and livestock breeds, or improved energy-using appliances. It was evident that fuel is becoming scarcer and the community is resorting to using previously less favored fuel types. While in more flooded areas there has been some effort by the communities to shift to more portable cook stoves, such appliances are of low quality and low efficiency. There is need for intervention to introduce cleaner and more efficient stoves. iv INTRODUCTION Bioenergy is an inclusive term for all forms of biomass and biofuels. In the context of this inquiry, only biomass was considered. Biomass is any biological mass derived from plant or animal matter (e.g. timber crops, straw, animal litter and other waste material) which is used as a source of renewable heat. Bioenergy is the most commonly used source of energy in Kenya. Current biomass demand is estimated at 40.5 million tones, against a sustainable supply of 16 million tonnes (NEMA, 2005). This is mainly used by rural households and peri-urban populations. Rural-based cottage industries, including a range of production and processing activities such as brick making, tobacco curing, milk purification, fish smoking, jaggeries, and bakeries, and the service sector, including hotels and restaurants, together consumed 8.3% of the total firewood and 17.3 % of the total charcoal produced. It is notable that problems relating to environmental degradation, land clearance, overgrazing, deforestation, drought and desertification are placing more and more pressure on dwindling bioenergy resources. Biomass fuels are the largest source of primary energy in Kenya, with woodfuel consumption accounting for over 68% of the total primary energy consumption. In rural areas, people are using wood, agricultural residues and other bioenergy sources for up to 90% of their energy consumption and many remain wholly dependent on such sources. Despite annual forest growth, this volume of wood biomass harvested is unsustainable leading to many negative environmental and economic impacts This has resulted in the continuous clearing of the country’s forests and woodlands. Although Kenya is not a net emitter of GHGs, the forests act as carbon sink. Therefore destruction of the natural woodland and forest for woodfuel is a national concern. Approximately 200-300 trees are needed per household per year1. In addition, the use of inefficient stoves, especially traditional three stone stoves, is still prevalent in rural areas.. Replacing traditional cooking stoves with more efficient and cleaner stoves and alternative biofuel sources can contribute to both economic and environmental sustainability as well as social well-being. Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. Although its exact extent is debatable, the risk of inaction is unaffordable. The term “climate change” is often used interchangeably with that of “global warming,” but according to the National Academy of Sciences, "The phrase 'climate change' is growing in preferred use to 'global warming' because it helps convey that there are [other] changes in addition to rising temperatures." Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or 1 http://regionalenergy‐net.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=114 1 wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. The impacts of climate change, worldwide, tend to be experienced by countries which are least disaster prepared and thus extremely vulnerable. The challenges to these countries tend to be exacerbated by several factors, including great geographical diversity and climatic variations. Thus certain regions might have to deal with rising temperatures, decreased moisture availability and desertification,i while other regions, even within the same country, must deal with the exact opposites including inundated plains and changing rainfall patterns, all of which affect agriculture. Kenya has had and continues to have it its own experience of the impact of climate change through recurring floods and frequent and prolonged droughts. Even if the countries of the world agreed to take aggressive steps to stabilize or reduce CO2 emissions over the next twenty to fifty years, there would still be a strong possibility that the cumulative effects of past greenhouse gas emissions would still have an impact for at least the next several decades, and possibly longer. Given such risks, it is imperative to search for low-cost ways of reducing CO2 emissions. Collectively, such steps fall under the heading of mitigation. There is also a need to reduce the severity of whatever impacts do occur. Such measures generally fall under the